Fine instruments lubricator with disposable lubricant cartridge



Aug. 15, 1961 F. F. DOLEZAL ET AL 2,996,223

FINE INSTRUMENTS LUBRICATOR WITH DISPOSABLE LUBRICANT CARTRIDGE Filed Nov. 21, 1958 F IG. 3. 72

FIG. 4.

INVENTORS peso FT BOLEZAL,

MAEcELL Q M4856 A rive/YE Vs.

United States Patent 2,996,223 FINE INSTRUMENTS LUBRICATOR WITH DISPOSABLE LUBRICANT CARTRIDGE Fred F. Dolezal, Edna, Tex. (418 E. Jackson, El

Campo, Tex. and Mar-cell P. Maresh, Edna, Tex.;

said Maresh assignor to said Dolezal FiledNov. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 775,600 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-327) This invention relates to improvements in fine instrument lubricators, and more particularly to an improved syringe-type lubricator of this kind having a disposable and replaceable lubricant cartridge.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an efiicient and more easily used and one-hand operated device of the character indicated, which enables easier, more accurate and cleaner oiling of small parts, especially in the interior of fine instruments, such as the winding and setting mechanisms of watches and the like.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated above, which uses an initially sealed cartridge which contains the particular oil to be used, in a clean and uncontaminated condition, for indefinitely long periods of time in storage, and is ready for insertion in and use in the device when wanted, the cartridge having its own piston, which initially serves as a seal for one end of the cartridge, and its own initially sealed nozzle serving as a seal for the other end of the cartridge, the nozzle being arranged to be slit to provide for discharge of oil from the cartridge after insertion in the lubricator by pressure of the plunger of the lubricator on the cartridge piston.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lubricator of the character indicated above wherein the cylinder of the lubricant cartridge is of plastic material, and provision is made, in the structure of the barrel of the lubricator and a closure cap carried plunger assembly, for reduced turning friction between the cap, the piston, and the related end of the cartridge cylinder, as the closure cap is screwed into place on the lubricator barrel, to the extent that abrasive injury to and distortion of these parts, which otherwise would be present, are eliminated, and easy operation and control of the plunger assembly is assured.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention .is .set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a lubricator of the invention, showing the piston rod in its extreme retracted position;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged and contracted and fragmentary longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side elevation of a lubricant cartridge of the invention, with its nozzle tip intact before being .slit; and

FIGURE 4 is a right-hand end elevation of FIGURE 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated lubricator, generally designated 10, is a syringe comprising a plane cylindrical open-ended barrel 12, preferably of brass or aluminum, having at its forward end a relatively short external screwthread 14 and at its rear end a relatively long external screwthread 16. Onto the forward end of the barrel 12 is screwed a knurled front or nozzle cap 18, also preferably of brass or aluminium, which involves a cylindrical tubular portion 20 having therein a rearwardly opening socket 22 of the same inside diameter as that of the barrel 12. An internally Patented Aug. 15, 1961 threaded annular recess 24 at the rear end of the socket 22 defines a stop shoulder 25 in the recess and threads onto the front'barrel thread 14.

The front or nozzle cap 18 further comprises a concavely and forwardly tapered solid portion 26-, which "is traversed by a relatively small diameter axial bore 28 which opens at the rear'end into the smaller forward end 30 of a conical axial recess 32, whose larger rear end opens throughtheplain annular bottom 34 of the socket 22. A "hollow, preferable steel needle 36 has its rear portion plug fitted in the bore 28 and on the rear end of the needle is a flange 38 to bear against the forward end 30 of cortical recess '32. The forward portion 40 of the needle 36 extends the required and relatively short distance forwardly beyond the front cap '18.

The lubricator 10 further comprises a knurled rear cap 42, also preferably of brass or aluminum, which is somewhat longer than the frontcap 18, and comprises a plain tubular cylindrical mid-portion 44 having an axial bore 46 0f the same diameter as that of the barrel 12, and having at its forward open end a relatively long internally threaded annular recess 48 which defines a stop shoulder 50 and which threads onto the rear screwthread 16.

On and preferably integral with and closing the rear end of the midportion 44 of the rear cap 42 is a solid cylindrical rear'portion 52'which has a concavely tapered rear end 54. At the location of the bottom 54 of the socket defined by the bore 46 and the solid rear end portion 52 is a narrow annular groove 56, into which are inset the outer edges of two superimposed friction reducing washers 58 and 60, whose inner edges project into the bore 46, as indicated at 62, for a purpose hereinafter detailed. The washers 58 and 60 are preferably of nylon :because of the low coefiioient of friction and absence 'of abrasive affect of this material.

Extending through the solid rear end portion 52 of the rear cap 42 is a relatively large diameter smooth axial bore 64in which slides a piston rod 66, preferably made :of brass or aluminum, having suitably secured on its rear .end a thumb-pressure disc 68, and on its forward end, within the bore 46, a piston or plunger plate 70. As shown inFIGURE 2, the plunger plate 70 is circular and is substantially smaller in diameter than the rear cap bore 46, and is :smaller in diameter than the bore of a lubricant cartridge, generally designated 72.

.The lubricant cartridge 72 comprises a plain cylindrical cylinder '74-, :of plastic material, preferably polyvinyl chloride, which is substantially longer than the syringe barrel 12 and .has an open rear .end 75. The cylinder 74 is of an outside diameter to slide easily in the syringe barrel 12 and in the bores of the front and rear caps. Snugly and slidably engaged in the cylinder 74 at the rear end thereof and serving as aseal for lubricant, such as watch oil, in the cylinder, is a free piston 76. The piston 76 is solid :and relatively thick and is preferably made of .nylon which .has an extremely low eoeflicient of friction to slide easily in-the cylinder 74, and high resistance to deterioration from contact with oil.

The piston 76 is retained in the cylinder 74 by circumferentially spacedradiallyinwardly inclined lugs 78 which are preferably formed in the open rear end of the cylinder, by indenting the side wall of the cylinder. The formation of the lugs 78 also serve to impartrigidity to the rear end 75 of the cylinder 74. The plunger plate 70, is, as seen in FIGURE 2, small enough in diameter to freely pass the lugs 78 to engage the piston 76.

The forward end of the lubricant cartridge cylinder 74 is closed by an annular front end wall 82 which includes an axial, forwardly projecting conical nozzle 84 terminating in a rounded tip 86. The nozzle 84 is formed to substantially fit into the conical recess 32 of the front cap 18 of the syringe 10, when the tip 86 is slit or snipped off, and spreads under pressure against the forward end 30 of the recess 32, as shown in FIGURE 2, and thereby provides communication between the interior of the lubricant cylinder 74 and the bore of the needle 36, for the flow of lubricant under controlled pressure, to the needle.

Removal of the cartridge, as when depleted of oil, and replacement thereof with another cartridge, are simply matters of removing the rear cap 42, withdrawing the old cartridge, inserting a new cartridge, and reapplying the rear cap 42 to the rear end of the syringe barrel 12. In this connection it is to be noted that as the rear cap 42 is threaded on the rear thread 16 of the barrel 12, the inner edge of the inner friction-reducing washer 58 bears against the rear end 80 of the cartridge cylinder 74, which is stationarily positioned in the barrel 12 and in the socket 22 of the front cap 18, and reduces the friction, which otherwise would occur between the bottom 54 of the socket of the rear cap 42 and the rear end 75 of the cartridge cylinder 74, to a point that there is little or no likelihood of the rear end 75 and the side wall of the cartridge cylinder 74 can be damaged or be distorted and cause binding, by the rotation and forward pressing movement of the rear cap 42 as it is threaded on the barrel 12, to an extent to force the cartridge forwardly sufficiently to produce the desired spreading of the nozzle 84 against the bottom 30 of the recess 32 of the front cap 18 and around the rear end of the needle 36. Such spreading of the nozzle 84 produces a seal between it and the recess bottom 30, which precludes undesirable hack-flow of oil from the nozzle 84 into the space between the socket bottom 34 and the side wall of the socket 22. It is to be noted that the washers 58 and 60 can turn relative to each other and relative to the bottom 54 of the socket of the rear cap 42 so as to further reduce or eliminate the undesired friction described above.

On the forward end of the rear cap 42 is a concave flared portion 88 having a relatively wide and flat annular front end 90 which is provided to serve as an adequate and comfortable abutment to be engaged by such as the first two fingers of the hand while the thumb of the same hand is engaged behind the piston rod thumb disc 68 and the piston rod 66 is forced forwardly to discharge oil from the needle by the pressure of its plunger plate 70 against the cartridge piston 76. Flats 92 can be provided around the edge of the flared portion 88 to prevent rolling of the devices on a surface.

Although there has been shown and described herein a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A fine instrument lubricator syringe comprising a barrel having open front and rear ends, a front cap threaded on and closing the front end of the barrel, a rear cap secured and closing the rear end of the barrel, a plunger assembly carried by said rear cap and comprising a piston rod sliding axially through said rear cap, said rear cap having a finger abutment thereon and said piston rod having a thumb-engaging means behind said rear cap, said piston rod having a forward end having a piston plate thereon, a replaceable lubricant cartridge comprising a cylinder longer than and slidably engaged in said barrel and having a closed front end and an open rear end severally extending beyond the ends of the barrel, said front and rear caps having sockets severally receiving the front and rear ends of the cartridge cylinder, a free piston sliding in said cartridge cylinder and initially closing the rear end of the cylinder and against which said piston plate is engaged to discharge lubricant from the cartridge as the piston rod is pushed forwardly, said closed front end of the cartridge cylinder having a forwardly-extending nozzle terminating in an initially imperforate tip provided with an opening prior to insertion in the syringe, a hollow needle extending axially through said front cap and having an open rear end in communication with the opening in the nozzle tip, said rear cap being threaded forwardly on the barrel to an extent to compress the cartridge between the rear cap and the front cap, said front cap socket having a bottom engaged by the closed front end of the cartridge, a forwardly tapering conical recess in said front cap opening to the bottom of its socket, said recess having a bottom at its forward end, said nozzle being positioned in said conical recess with the nozzle tip being engaged with the bottom of the conical recess and distorted into sealing engagement therewith.

2. A fine instrument lubricating syringe consisting of a rigid substantially imperforate barrel having open front and rear ends, a replaceable lubricant cartridge of deformable material, said cartridge being longer than said barrel, said cartridge being slidably engaged in said barrel and having forward and rear end portions extending beyond related ends of the barrel, the forward end portion of the cartridge terminating in a forwardly tapered nozzle having an initially sealed forward end which is adapted to be cut to provide an open end for the nozzle, said cartridge having an open rear end, a piston in said cartridge at and initially closing the rear end of the cartridge, 21 front cap secured on the front end of the barrel, said cap having a socket receiving the forward end portion of the cartridge and a tapered recess receiving said nozzle, a bore extending through the front cap and communicating with said recess, a rear cap externally threaded on the rear end of the barrel, said rear cap having a socket receiving the rear end portion of the cartridge, a piston rod working through the rear cap and having a piston plate on its forward end engaged with the cartridge piston through the open rear end of the cartridge, the socket of the rear cap having a bottom, the rear cap being threaded forwardly on the barrel with the bottom of its socket bearing against the rear end of the cartridge and compressing the cartridge lengthwise between the front and rear caps and compressing the nozzle in the recess of the front cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 804,874 Nassauer Nov. 21, 1905 1,443,910 Zearing et al J an. 30, 1923 1,603,877 Smith Oct. 19, 1926 2,096,461 Mane et al Oct. 19, 1937 2,098,524 Smith Nov. 9, 1937 2,103,044 Tear Dec. 21, 1937 2,128,254 Kile Aug. 30, 1938 2,345,302 Smith Mar. 28, 1944 2,354,649 Bruckner Aug. 1, 1944 2,514,575 Hein July 11, 1950 2,575,425 Nelson Nov. 20, 1951 2,605,763 Smoot Aug. 5, 1952 2,660,342 Ruf Nov. 24, 1953 2,872,083 Murphy et al Feb. 3, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 35,554 Denmark Feb. 1, 1926 

